Welcome to another week of the Walk to Rivendell, all you energetic TORnFolk! Our Challenge is moving right along; with a good group effort, we may break 10,000 miles by the end of October. Life has been busy here in Northern Colorado; Fall descended on us this past week, rather suddenly and completely (in keeping with our usual pattern; the only difference is in which part of September or October it hits). Hmmm... cool weather, need to stay warm – perfect excuse to get moving!

And, ImetLegolas and anyone else lurking about: feel free to join in!

There and Back Again Group Challenge ProgressMiles covered last week: 118.5 Cumulative miles: 9529.24 Miles along the journey: 635.28 Miles out of Rivendell: 238.28

In addition to letting everyone know that we're still riding through the grasslands next to Mirkwood, I though it would be fun to recap where our There and Back Again Challenge regulars are. At this point, grammaboodawg has met herself coming and going west of Mirkwood, Arwen's Daughter is in a soggy barrel race with the dwarves, Delrond is sprinting toward the Battle of the Five Armies, Beamer and I are approaching Rivendell, which excellent libraries ShyElf has just left, Alassea Eruvande is about to work a riddle game, bearagorn and Iolani are on their way to Beorn's, and silneldor's gone and wandered off with Gandalf and Bilbo's nephew, Frodo. Whew!

My progress: Miles covered this week: 4 Cumulative miles: 373 Goal: There and Back Again! Ohh, I need miles. For my own well-being, I need treadmill and rowing time. At least I got a few this week, but I've been set back by a headache and two lousy nights of sleep. I can always tell when I'm just too tired: I keep setting off the safety stop feature on the treadmill. Next week will be better!

Beamer's progress: Miles covered this week: 3 Cumulative miles: 388 Goal: Group Challenge Oh, Beamer – my own Banquo. Her performance is next Wednesday. I haven't figured out a mileage conversion for performances; there should be one, though. The one thing I know for sure is that she'll be hungry after she's done her acting bit, from burning those calories!

The Eowyn Challenge/Walk to Rivendell (and beyond) is a Middle-Earth-related fitness group that began in March 2003, and has been going on with walkers around the world ever since. TORn's Walk is open to all people and healthy types of activity. Please visit the Eowyn Challenge site, especially the main page and the Walk page, for more information. Useful links, including mileage charts compiled by the late Karen Wynn Fonstad, are on the Tools page. grammaboodawg's awesome site for Bilbo's return mileages from the Lonely Mountain to Bag End, some helpful activity conversion charts, and the Walk to Rivendell's TORn-up Postcards Notta's Super-Duper Walking-Equivalents ChartEowyn Challenge Login Page to register miles

If you use the Eowyn Challenge site to track your progress, please update your mileage via the login page, and be sure to keep a backup record, in case Warg attack, Wizard-induced blizzard, or other fell calamity causes the Shields page to crash.Walk to Rivendell: There and Back Again Challenge - getting thirteen rowdy Dwarves, one grumpy Wizard, and a beleaguered Hobbit from Bag End to the Lonely Mountain by December 2012; and the same Hobbit and Wizard back to Bag End by December 2013

Greetings fellow walkers, runners, bikers, swimmers and folks whose computers won't talk to their routers. Another productive week on the exercise front and a decent finish in last Saturday's 5K (28:29). I have another one tomorrow so I am looking to improve on that significantly as I set my personal best on this course last year. Then Little D and I are headed to the big city on Sunday for a 5K walk to support diabetes. With the Colts home game and other festivals going on, parking may be an issue. We may end up walking an 8k before all is said and done.

Arandiel, keep on pushing yourself. I know sleep affects my performance. But there are some days when I just want to scrap the whole work-out. These are the days that, if I stay focused and stay on routine, I seem to feel much better than when I started. Not sure why that is. Good luck to Beamer on her performance next Wednesday.

Miles covered since last week: 23.8 Cumulative miles: 988.6 Goal: There and Back Again!

Alas, Thorin, Fili and Kili did not survive that battle. But things seem to be headed in the right direction. Bilbo offered me his mithril coat but it didn't fit. I wouldn't have taken it anyway, but it was cool trying it on though. Now the long journey back, and we are 20 miles into the return trip. I hope to make it to Beorn's house before it starts snowing. I should greatly enjoy returning to a rebuilt Dale some day. Farewell, Bard. A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.

How exciting! All of her hard work is finally coming to fruition. Have a wonderful time, m'dear!! Oh, ma... I think she should get at least 20 miles!! You KNOW she's done a lot more practicing and hard work, and the night of the performance won't just be the physical effort, but nerves and concentration, too! You must be so proud!

I've been cleaning in my basement, carrying old equipment, boxes, 20 years of hoarding OUT! Up and down stairs, moving washing machines and old televisions, put a gutter in over the garage side door and patched the garage roof until Spring... loads of action that takes way too much time, but feels so good to finally tackle before winter sets in.

Beorn, Bilbo, Gandalf and I are still travelling south on the west side of Mirkwood. It will be nice to finally get to Beorn's home and spend the rest of the winter being tended by his wonderful animals and exchanging stories. Right now we can see the Great River getting closer and closer.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!! I'm off to Lake Michigan (Pentwater) with my daughter and 2 g'sons on Saturday. The waves promise to be huge, the wind fast and the trees all aflame with colour!!

Thanks for taking such good care of us Arandiel :D Have fun at Beamer's performance (share pics!!!!)

Miles covered: 35 Cumulated miles: 1349 Goal: #2 Unexpected Journey Individual Challenge and contributing to the Group :) Weeks to go: 10 until December 14, 2012 [next week we'll be in the SINGLE DIGITS!!]

I really need these new films to take me back to, and not re-introduce me to, that magical world.

Yeah, I didn't feel very lively today, but a half-hour stint of rowing helped - thanks for the encouragement. Walk to Rivendell: There and Back Again Challenge - getting thirteen rowdy Dwarves, one grumpy Wizard, and a beleaguered Hobbit from Bag End to the Lonely Mountain by December 2012; and the same Hobbit and Wizard back to Bag End by December 2013

It's good to hear you're further along the journey. And thanks for the well-wishes! Walk to Rivendell: There and Back Again Challenge - getting thirteen rowdy Dwarves, one grumpy Wizard, and a beleaguered Hobbit from Bag End to the Lonely Mountain by December 2012; and the same Hobbit and Wizard back to Bag End by December 2013

Have a great weekend! Walk to Rivendell: There and Back Again Challenge - getting thirteen rowdy Dwarves, one grumpy Wizard, and a beleaguered Hobbit from Bag End to the Lonely Mountain by December 2012; and the same Hobbit and Wizard back to Bag End by December 2013

your chilly willies here BUT no snow (as Aunt Dora alluded to). It is tough getting everything done that needs doing. I remember the days of 5AM waking and long commutes and long days of driving trailer/handling freight, getting home 7-8-9 PM and setting out for the workout of the day, eating at 10-10:30, going to bed at 11-11:30 and getting up and doing it again, day in, day out for years. It can be done. I am sorry about those headaches dear. Listen to your body.

This week has been a tough one with the chore i picked out to do; clear some land at home that has not seen the light of day for decades. The vines sometimes almost 2" thick were intertwined/meshed with everything, trees, bushes and saplings, Cutting sawing, chopping for 5days and about 15hrs+. It was playing tug 'o war dragging those 40ft vines into the woods (many had to be pulled out of the trees by a sling hooked to my pickup), some with very thorny...er thorns. And i lost count of the wheelbarrow loads. I actually have a mountain of the stuff. I am not quite done but it will be soon. It does all look so much better. I have a good amount of poison ivy but that goes with the project.

BUT it got me to get in sight of the Loudwater, see the amazing elfstone on the bridge, the 'bird nest holder'= perfect job for a stone troll, experiencing a troll hole, meeting glorious Glorfindel. (I will never think the same of the sound of bells again). I got to hike all night and sleep come dawn (reminds me of working nights at the freight terminal. But is am in very good company indeed!

So for the week (with two runs too) it is 80.3 miles, giving me a total of 420.3 miles

Hey guys! It's nice to hear where we are on the map, huh? It's been cold here too. I didn't get as much mileage as I wanted last week, but I did get some. Unfortunately, after my last walk I pulled my back while gardening. My own fault for hanging over like a crane. Very pad posture. But I'm feeling better, and hopefully today I can get in a walk! My dog certainly needs it, poor cooped up thing. Here's my stats from last week!

miles: 10.6 cumulative: 678.8 goal: There and Back Again Group Challenge!

Good luck everybody! Keep going strong! (Can't wait to get a look at the bear-man). "It's like in the great stories Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And you didn't want to know the end...for how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But then you realize in the end it's just a passing thing, this shadow. A new day will come! And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stuck with you, that meant something. Even if you were too small to understand. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. The folk in those stories a lot of chances of turnin' back only they didn't. They kept going, because they were holdin' on to something." "What are we holding onto, Sam?" "That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for!"

I almost have Mr. Weaver talked into increasing our mileage!
[In reply to]

Can't Post

(we're talking walking of course...)

We walked 4.5 miles this weekend -- hooray! I'm trying to get him to double the route we talk on the weekends so we can up our miles, but we'll see. Will depend on weather -- he's a cold walker wimp, so let's hope winter holds off a bit where I live!

Glad to report in and maybe one day I'll get back to logging miles. I think I did it -- uh -- all of once!

You get a big job done and some very full workouts. It's like gramma's cleaning and Alassea's renovating - I've heard it referred to as 'contextual exercise'. I hope the poison ivy contact heals quickly! Walk to Rivendell: There and Back Again Challenge - getting thirteen rowdy Dwarves, one grumpy Wizard, and a beleaguered Hobbit from Bag End to the Lonely Mountain by December 2012; and the same Hobbit and Wizard back to Bag End by December 2013

Isn't it the way? You do your workouts just fine, and it's something so everyday that trips you up. sigh.

Well, recover well and quickly, Iolani! Walk to Rivendell: There and Back Again Challenge - getting thirteen rowdy Dwarves, one grumpy Wizard, and a beleaguered Hobbit from Bag End to the Lonely Mountain by December 2012; and the same Hobbit and Wizard back to Bag End by December 2013

Congrats on the increased distance, and I hope your endeavor to help Mr. Weaver stay motivated is successful! Walk to Rivendell: There and Back Again Challenge - getting thirteen rowdy Dwarves, one grumpy Wizard, and a beleaguered Hobbit from Bag End to the Lonely Mountain by December 2012; and the same Hobbit and Wizard back to Bag End by December 2013

have problems with 'em. Me included. But with time (it seems to vary among us) things do settle down. With me, when the thing started to really freak out, i hit the freezer for the ice packs, 15min on and 15 min off. It really settled thing down on the escalation of the spasm.

I heard once and i really believe it, that if one stands either straight or bent over that stresses in the back are better relieved if the feet are not side by side. In other words have one foot forward of the other, especially when lifting.

My back is almost completely better--the last couple days I just took it easy, mainly reading books and working on my writing, and that really helped. Thanks for the tip, Silnedor--about the footing! I'll keep that in mind. And thanks everyone, for your concern. You guys are so sweet. I actually did get my mileage today--it was such a beautiful, warm day--almost got five miles! I was feeling good. And I gave thanksgiving to the good Lord for giving me a break from the chill! (Autumn/winter is nice, but I'm geared for the warm weather--it agrees with me). Thanks again guys! Hope everyone is having a happy first half of the week. "It's like in the great stories Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And you didn't want to know the end...for how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But then you realize in the end it's just a passing thing, this shadow. A new day will come! And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stuck with you, that meant something. Even if you were too small to understand. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. The folk in those stories a lot of chances of turnin' back only they didn't. They kept going, because they were holdin' on to something." "What are we holding onto, Sam?" "That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for!"